Oscars 2013: Winner predictions

Caption'Les Miserables'

Laurie Sparham / Universal Pictures

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway. Can we pinpoint the moment she latched hold of the gold? Was it that first public "Les Miz" screening at New York's Lincoln Center on Nov. 23? Or the premiere of the movie's 98-second trailer, set entirely to Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream," at the end of May? Or was it when Hathaway was just 7 and saw her mother play Fantine on stage in Philadelphia and started building her own castle on a cloud? We may never know, but we're pretty sure Hathaway will deliver a great speech that will last about as long as "I Dreamed a Dream" and leak roughly the same volume of tears.

SOUND MIXING: "Pi" could well win here, but we suspect that "Les Miz," which has picked up awards from BAFTA, the Motion Picture Sound Editors and the Cinema Audio Society, will prevail. Recording the singing live posed a huge challenge, and even if the results were hit-and-miss, voters will recognize the effort involved.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway. Can we pinpoint the moment she latched hold of the gold? Was it that first public "Les Miz" screening at New York's Lincoln Center on Nov. 23? Or the premiere of the movie's 98-second trailer, set entirely to Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream," at the end of May? Or was it when Hathaway was just 7 and saw her mother play Fantine on stage in Philadelphia and started building her own castle on a cloud? We may never know, but we're pretty sure Hathaway will deliver a great speech that will last about as long as "I Dreamed a Dream" and leak roughly the same volume of tears.

SOUND MIXING: "Pi" could well win here, but we suspect that "Les Miz," which has picked up awards from BAFTA, the Motion Picture Sound Editors and the Cinema Audio Society, will prevail. Recording the singing live posed a huge challenge, and even if the results were hit-and-miss, voters will recognize the effort involved.

ORIGINAL SCORE: One of these years, 48-time nominee John Williams will win another Oscar (he has five, the last coming for "Schindler's List"), but it likely won't be for the beautiful, Copland-esque touches he brought to "Lincoln." Mychael Danna's imaginative, multi-dimensional score played an integral role to "Pi's" success and won the Globe earlier this year. This is another crafts category that "Pi" should take.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Voters may not be able to distinguish the line between Claudio Miranda's photography and the film's visual effects work, but that probably won't matter. More than any other movie of the season, "Pi" has been hailed for its gorgeous visuals as well as its striking use of 3-D. All those beautiful images were likely dancing in academy members' minds when they filled out their ballots.

VISUAL EFFECTS: See: cinematography.

SOUND EDITING: Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton won this Oscar last year for "Hugo," and their work on "Pi" -- the thunder of the crashing waves, the digitally rendered roar of the tiger, the frenzy of the flying fish -- is crucial to its success. "Pi" just picked up two prizes from the Motion Picture Sound Editors over the weekend, and the academy should follow suit.

ORIGINAL SCORE: One of these years, 48-time nominee John Williams will win another Oscar (he has five, the last coming for "Schindler's List"), but it likely won't be for the beautiful, Copland-esque touches he brought to "Lincoln." Mychael Danna's imaginative, multi-dimensional score played an integral role to "Pi's" success and won the Globe earlier this year. This is another crafts category that "Pi" should take.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Voters may not be able to distinguish the line between Claudio Miranda's photography and the film's visual effects work, but that probably won't matter. More than any other movie of the season, "Pi" has been hailed for its gorgeous visuals as well as its striking use of 3-D. All those beautiful images were likely dancing in academy members' minds when they filled out their ballots.

VISUAL EFFECTS: See: cinematography.

SOUND EDITING: Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton won this Oscar last year for "Hugo," and their work on "Pi" -- the thunder of the crashing waves, the digitally rendered roar of the tiger, the frenzy of the flying fish -- is crucial to its success. "Pi" just picked up two prizes from the Motion Picture Sound Editors over the weekend, and the academy should follow suit.